College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 3,982 Undergrads 46.1% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$26,960
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,109
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,607
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,109
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,607
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$52,234
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate46.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age24.8
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients56.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time63.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
74.6%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$541k
+$74k
+$56k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$490k
+$23k
+$5k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$444k
-$23k
-$41k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
59
11%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-42%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return21%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-46%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$13,350
Earnings (4yr)
$68,328
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,140
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$13,075
Earnings (4yr)
$53,567
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
$14,750
Earnings (4yr)
$69,226
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,853
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$627
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,247
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$13,070
Earnings (4yr)
$88,917
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
Median Debt
$11,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,121
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,252
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$15,820
Earnings (4yr)
$49,141
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,875
Earnings (4yr)
$64,022
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Median Debt
$17,378
Earnings (4yr)
$44,312
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,071
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$15,543
Earnings (4yr)
$63,276
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,569
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,011
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,269
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,894
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,565
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,545
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,301
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,031
Natl Median: $61,630
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,152
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$15,324
Earnings (4yr)
$53,848
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$16,870
Earnings (4yr)
$53,747
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$15,477
Earnings (4yr)
$52,176
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,105
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,319
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Area Studies
MastCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,370
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,322
Natl Median: $62,705
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Gerontology
MastCIP: 3011
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,618
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,707
Earnings (4yr)
$60,768
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,850
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,515
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,286
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$19,914
Earnings (4yr)
$59,663
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
$13,262
Earnings (4yr)
$65,769
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,529
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Median Debt
$30,296
Earnings (4yr)
$63,215
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,843
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,068
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,231
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.